 IVES 9 IVES Conference Series 9 Evolution of flavonols during Merlot winemaking processes

Evolution of flavonols during Merlot winemaking processes

Abstract

Aim: The phenomenon of quercetin precipitation in wine (flanovol haze), has been manifested for many years in several wine-producing regions, such as Italy, Australia, and New Zealand (Gambuti et al., 2020; Lanati, Marchi, & Cascio, 2014; Somers & Ziemelis, 1985). Due to the limited information related to the quercetin aglycone behavior and its precursors during wine production in New Zealand, this study aims to monitor the evolution of flavonols and other polyphenols during the commercial fermentation of Merlot grapes, using different fermentation conditions, and vineyard treatments.

Methods: Various trials evaluating sun exposure, winemaking practices, and winemaking process management were undertaken using Merlot grapes, commercial yeast cultures, potassium metabisulphite (20 g/hL), and nutrient supplementation with DYNASTART®-LAFFORT at 20 g/hL. Samples were taken through the winemaking stages, and the polyphenols were quantified using a reversed-phase HPLC method (Garrido-Bañuelos et al., 2019; Peng et al. 2002).

Results: Grapes with elevated amounts of flavonols glycosides produced wines with higher levels of flavonol glycosides and quercetin. Wines made from grapes with greater sun exposure ended up with more flavonol glycosides (89 mg/L) and quercetin (16 mg/L) than the wines elaborated from less exposed grapes (47 mg/L and 9.4 mg/L, respectively). Certain winemaking practices showed differences in quercetin content, for example using small fermentation (250 kg) (12 mg/L), and large fermentation (five tonnes) (28 mg/L). The data also indicates that tannins and total anthocyanins were present at 786 mg/L and 156 mg/L, respectively, for small-scale ferments, and at 888 mg/L and 363 mg/L, respectively, for large-scale ferments. In evaluating the winemaking process management, the ferment pumped over (largest fermentation volume) exhibited flavonol glycosides and quercetin at the highest concentration (91 mg/L and 20 mg/L, respectively), compared to the remaining treatments. PMS, enzyme, and PMS plus enzyme, additions lowered the concentration of the flavonols glycosides at the end of the winemaking process (37 mg/L, 42 mg/L, and 43 mg/L, respectively). It was seem that the PMS plus enzyme (15.6 mg/L) increase quecetin in wine when compared to the control, no additions, (12.6 mg/L). The wines treated with enzyme, PMS, and PMS plus enzyme, also had lower concentrations of anthocyanins (215 mg/L, 233 mg/L, and 238 mg/L, respectively) than the control (291 mg/L).

Conclusions

The study confirmed past research on the role of sun exposure in the formation of flavonols in Merlot grapes and wines. Fermentation size can improve the extraction of polyphenols into wine, and the enzyme additions can promote the hydrolysis of flavonol glycosides. In considering winemaking practices to lower flavonol content, the impact on remaining wine phenolics, of importance to wine colour and mouthfeel, also needs to be carefully evaluated.

DOI:

Publication date: September 14, 2021

Issue: Macrowine 2021

Type: Article

Authors

Cristian Hernandez

School of Chemistry University of Auckland,Paul KILMARTIN, School of Chemistry, University of Auckland Leandro DIAS, School of Food Science, University of Auckland Gianni FLEGO, Villa Maria Estate winery Rebecca DEED, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland

Contact the author

Citation

VINIoT: Precision viticulture service for SMEs based on IoT sensors network

The main innovation in the VINIoT service is the joint use of two technologies that are currently used separately: vineyard monitoring using multispectral imaging and deployed terrain sensors. One part of the system is based on the development of artificial intelligence algorithms that are feed on the images of the multispectral camera and IoT sensors, high-level information on water stress, grape ripening status and the presence of diseases. In order to obtain algorithms to determine the state of ripening of the grapes and avoid losing information due to the diversity of the grape berries, it was decided to work along the first year 2020 at berry scale in the laboratory, during the second year at the cluster scale and on the last year at plot scale. Different varieties of white and red grapes were used; in the case of Galicia we worked with the white grape variety Treixadura and the red variety Mencía. During the 2020 and 2021 campaigns, multispectral images were taken in the visible and infrared range of: 1) sets of 100 grapes classifying them by means of densimetric baths, 2) individual bunches. The images taken with the laboratory analysis of the ripening stage were correlated. Technological maturity, pH, probable degree, malic acid content, tartaric acid content and parameters for assessing phenolic maturity, IPT, anthocyanin content were determined. It has been calculated for each single image the mean value of each spectral band (only taking into account the pixels of interest) and a correlation study of these values with laboratory data has been carried out. These studies are still provisional and it will be necessary to continue with them, jointly with the training of the machine learning algorithms. Processed data will allow to determine the sensitivity of the multispectral images and select bands of interest in maturation.

Analysis of Cabernet Sauvignon and Aglianico winegrape (V. vinifera L.) responses to different pedo-climatic environments in southern Italy

Water deficit is one of the most important effects of climate change able to affect agricultural sectors. In general, it determines a reduction in biomass production, and for some plants, as in the case of grapevine, it can endorse fruit quality. The monitoring and management of plant water stress in the vineyard

Climate change projections to support the transition to climate-smart viticulture

The Earth’s system is undergoing major changes through a wide range of spatial and temporal scales as a response to growing anthropogenic radiative forcing, which is pushing the whole system far beyond its natural variability. Sources of greenhouse gases largely exceed their sinks, thus leading to a strengthened greenhouse effect. More energy is thereby being supplied to the system, with inevitable shifts in climatic patterns and weather regimes. Over the last decades, these modifications have been manifested in the full statistical distributions of the atmospheric variables, with dramatic changes in the frequency and intensity of extremes. Natural hazards, such as severe droughts, floods, forest fires, or heatwaves, are being triggered by extreme atmospheric events worldwide, thus threatening human activities. Viticultculture is not only exposed to changing climates but is also highly vulnerable, as grapevine phenology and physiological development are strongly controlled by atmospheric conditions. Therefore, the assessment of climate change projections for a given region is critical for climate change adaptation and risk reduction in viticulture. By adopting timely and suitable measures, the future sustainability and resiliency of the sector can be fostered. Climate-grapevine chain modelling is an essential tool for better planning and management. However, the accuracy of the resulting projections is limited by many uncertainties that must be duly taken into account when transferring knowledge to stakeholders and decision-makers. Climate-smart viticulture will comprise ensembles of locally tuned strategies, envisioning both adaptation and mitigation, assisted by emerging technologies and decision-support systems.

Climate change impacts on Douro Region viticulture and adaptation measures

Climate has a significant impact in the success of any agricultural system, with a direct influence on the crops suitability to a given region, interfering on yield and quality and also with the economic sustainability of the productive activity. In the Douro Demarcated Region (RDD), as in most regions of the Mediterranean climate, the scarce precipitation (33% has less than 600 mm per year), and your high variability, associated with high rates of evapotranspiration during the summer, is usually one of the fundamental factors that limit the grapevine development, as well as the production and quality of the harvest. Thus, facing the scenario in temperature changes for the next decades (1.5-2.5°C) and confirming the predictions of precipitation decreases and/or great variability in the occurrence of heat waves and intense rainfall, the consequences for slope stability in mountain viticulture and sustainability of all operations involved, are risks to be taken into account. In this way, a deepest and sustained knowledge regarding the adaptation measures to adverse environmental conditions is of a crucial importance, enabling a more efficient adaptation of plant growth conditions and the optimization of production and quality of the grapevines. The development of this work, carried out in two commercial vineyards, one located in Soutelo do Douro, São João da Pesqueira, Cima Corgo sub-region, and another located in Numão, Vila Nova de Foz Côa, Douro Superior sub-region, it seeks to establish a relationship between climatic elements and physiological, productive and qualitative parameters, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of adaptation measures, including different types of deficit irrigation (2002-2019) and the application of shading nets (2019-2020) in the physiological, viticultural and oenological behavior in the Touriga Nacional and Moscatel Galego Branco varieties, respectively. The results showed that the application of deficit irrigation allowed to significantly reduce the impact of the adverse weather conditions at key moments in the development of the grapevine, particularly in the period immediately before veráison and maturation, reducing the negative effects on the physiological processes and productivity, without compromise the must quality parameters. On the other hand, the application of shading nets significantly reduced de leaves temperature, allowing to increase the water potential, stomatal conductance and photosynthetic rate of grapes, which was reflected in the yield increase in the 2nd year of the study. For the maturation indicators, higher levels of total acidity, malic acid and assimilable nitrogen were obtained. The last measure presents a huge potential, being essential to carry out more years of trials to obtain stronger conclusions in terms of production parameters, but also in characteristics as important as the grape ripening components and the organoleptic characteristics of wines.

A predictive model of spatial Eca variability in the vineyard to support the monitoring of plant status

[lwp_divi_breadcrumbs home_text="IVES" use_before_icon="on" before_icon="||divi||400" module_id="publication-ariane" _builder_version="4.19.4" _module_preset="default" module_text_align="center" module_font_size="16px" text_orientation="center"...